What's the significance of a nation?
Poptartrea
08-01-2005, 02:28
What's so important about nationality and sovereignty? Really, a nation is just an autonomous region with defined borders (usually geographic). Why does such a concept even exist nowadays? At best it's just useless and at worst it's deadly.
Our Earth
08-01-2005, 02:29
What's so important about nationality and sovereignty? Really, a nation is just an autonomous region with defined borders (usually geographic). Why does such a concept even exist nowadays? At best it's just useless and at worst it's deadly.
Why would any group of people want to define themselves arbitrarily as different from others? Duh, "protection."
Generally the represent a barrier between differing cultures, languages etc.
As the world becomes a smaller place, the barriers are weakening, however. Take Europe for example where the difference between say, Belgium and France is negligable.
The Glorious Doom Tree
08-01-2005, 02:31
The signifigance of a nation is that it is a grouping of people with a similar language and culture, united for the common defense against those who don't share the language and culture.
Nova Terra Australis
08-01-2005, 02:32
Brotherhood, patriotism, a border seperating the morons out there in other countries from those in one's own. (Thus making the morons more managable.) The perception that the individual is safe from the inherant idiocy of the wider world. Just a few. :)
Pythagosaurus
08-01-2005, 02:39
I've been saying that for years. People just aren't ready to be nice to each other yet.
Pure Metal
08-01-2005, 02:45
What's so important about nationality and sovereignty? Really, a nation is just an autonomous region with defined borders (usually geographic). Why does such a concept even exist nowadays? At best it's just useless and at worst it's deadly.
agreed. patriotism and a bloated sense of national pride can (and does) lead to war and suffering, militarism and xenophobia. hitler's germany: outright militarism and patriotism encouraged at school and nazi youth. british empire: ostentatious and utterly self-important attitude, plus militarism, leads to outright imperialism. america: militaristic, overblown patriotism (swearing alleagance to the flag every morning at school??) and (at least) part of the population verging on xenophobia - where will this lead?
in any case, the nation state is outmoded and has outlived its time. perhaps the "economy-state" has begun to take over? a change away from emphasis on geographical borders - even a willingness to reduce their importance in favour of sharing sovereignty to achieve greater economic power.